Her sudden towering rages seeing him entering the room were terrifying. He was frightened because he never saw his Di in such a rage before.
"What the hell do you think of yourself Chote?" Anjali blasted at him throwing the appointment letter on his face.
He caught the paper on his right hand and went near her.
"Di.. I thought it will be good for you to focus on your career after what happened.." He tried to justify..
"Oh so you decided to take control of my life and ask your friend to give an offer letter your sister, who has no experience for the post of Marketing manger ? Do you even understand what damage you have done by deciding for other people? "
She immediately softened seeing the guilty and defeated look on her brother's face.
"Chote.. you heard half the conversation between Khushiji and Shyam and misunderstood they were having an affair. You blackmailed her into marrying you and decided to hide the truth about my husband from me and everyone. You should have informed me right away when you found out. You believe it or not that one wrong decision of yours made everything complicated and lead to this mess. Now again you think you are the one who should decide what is good for me or Khushiji? "
Hot tears rolled down his face as he had the flashbacks of everything happened in the past few months. Anjali couldn't hold herself back anymore she broke into tears and hugged her little brother. After few minute they broke off and Anjali cupped his face with love.
"Chote.. I am not blaming you alone for what happened. I am equally responsible for the mess. I should have known he was just using me for a luxurious life. I was such a fool. And poor Khushiji she became the collateral damage.. If you really want to make things right for both of us, please let both of us decide on our life. Please.. I know you meant well, but your interference will create more damage than fixing things. "
Arnav nodded at her like a little child.
"You are my little brother , I can never hate you or stay angry with you for long, but I am very disappointed in you for making Khushiji go through all these. She is such a pure soul who stayed quiet for everyone's happiness. I don't know how she is going to come out of all these? "
"Di.. I really regret what I have done. I don't know how to express it to her.. I know I don't deserve her but I can also wish for happiness know Di? And my happiness is with her."
She caressed his hair while she talked.
"And what if her happiness is not with you ?then you will have to let her go Chote. For your happiness you cannot force anything on her. True love is when you let your lover to be at the place where they are really happy, even if that means them going away from you.. I am not demotivating you but you are going to give her whatever she needs not what you think she might need.. Do you understand?'
" I get it Di.. I promise I won't interfere in yours's or Khushi's life.. I will wait for her to be the old Khushi again.. I promise.."
Arnav left her room and went for a long drive to compose himself. He need some air. Anjali went to Khushi's room to talk to her. She need to have that heart to hear conversation with her.
When Arnav returned after his drive feeling much lighter, the sight he was welcomed with in his room made his heart warmer. Anjali and Khushi were sleeping on the bed and Payal was covering them with a blanket.
"They slept while talking , you want me to get the guest room ready for you? " Payal asked.
"No Payal , its ok, I will take the couch. Thank you."
Payal smiled and closed the door behind her. Arnav drifted into sleep watching the two most important women in his life sleeping soundly.
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Two weeks passed since and things are somewhat normal in Raizada house. Everyone blessed Khushi when she announced about joining collage.
He gave her a credit card in her name told to use it to buy things needed for collage. At first she refused, but she agreed to keep it when he said she can return the money later. He watched her from far when she excitedly showed her new books and other things bought for collage to the family. He felt little bad when he was not a part of it but he was happy to see her excited for the collage.
His sister attended few interviews in the last two weeks but got rejected due to lack of job experience. He stayed away from everything as he promised. But he was genuinely happy that things are returning to normal slowly.
It was the first day of Khushi's collage, Nani fed her curd- sugar and gave her blessings. When she took her blessings from everyone, Nani asked Arnav to drop her to collage. To his surprise Khushi agreed and they drove towards her collage.
He was secretly glad that she was wearing sindoor and mangalsutra. Their drive was a silent one. But just before walking towards the building, she stopped and looked at him and gave him a warm smile. Sensing she needs to talk to him he came out of the car and stood infront of her.
"Thank you Arnavji for making this happen. I will be grateful to you for doing this for me" A part of him felt bad that she is thanking him just like a stranger helping her, but he was also glad that she was talking to him normally after so many days.
He smiled at her warmly which was a rare sight for Khushi.
"Khushi.. Starting college is a significant milestone in anyone's life, marking the beginning of a new chapter filled with opportunities, challenges, and personal growth. I wish you all the best on your first day of college. May this new chapter be filled with exciting opportunities, amazing friends, and unforgettable memories. You have everything it takes to succeed, and I believe in you!"
With that he drove away and with a pleasant smile she walked towards the collage.
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One month passed since Khushi started collage. He sat far and listened everyday when she narrates the incidents happened in collage, about her teachers, new friends etc. to his Di and Payal. She is becoming the old Khushi again.. His driver Mohan drops and picks her up everyday.
Most of the days he manages to be home when she is back from collage to know what is happening with her in collage. And from her chatter he understood, the girl named Mukku is now her best friend and she is a chatterbox just like Khushi.
Akash also came home with him early today. Even though Akash never interferes in anyone's life , he observes and understands everyone. He knows his brother is trying to make amendments. He always offered to step in for Arnav in the evening at office so that his brother can be at home when Khushi is back from collage.
"So Khushi, come and sit here. Even I want to catch up with your collage stories. " Akash invited Khushi along with Anjali and Payal to the drawing room, so that Arnav can also be a part of the conversation. Payal understood her husband's intention. So she brought tea and snacks to the drawing room.
Khushi narrated a ragging incident happened today, when a gang of of the seniors came asked her to say I love you to another senior as he like her. Khushi being Khushi, went to the senior and told him "I love you bhaiyya" which made him very angry. Before things went ugly, her bestie Mukku stepped in and threatened her brother being the trustee of the collage and rescued her.
After listening to the incident Arnav made a mental note to call the principal and management to stop the ragging in the collage with immediate effect. Sensing his line of thoughts Anjali looked at him with a warning " Don't even think about it, its her learning curve.. "
Sensing the change in Arnav's body language Akash suddenly changed the subject.
"So... Di.. When you went to collage , did you have a crush on anyone like this?. You know boys always express it like that boy did to Khushi, but girls at that time barely used to express I think?"
The sudden question from Akash caught Anjali off-guard. Collage crush.. She smiled when his handsome face came to her mind. He was her first crush.. He was everyone's crush.. His smile, his walk, his dance.. She was smitten with him. But she was not sure if he ever noticed her. He was always on top even it is academically or in extra curricular activities. He was like a super star. There is no way he ever noticed the girl named Anjali with a limp in his class. But one day she gathered courage and wrote a letter to him and kept it inside his bag when he was outside with his friends. But after that her life took a 180 degree turn. When she came home that day her father announced her marriage is fixed. She stopped going to collage after that. On the day of her wedding, her parents killed themselves and she had to leave Lucknow along with her brother to her maternal grandmother's house. Then after many years Shyam came to her life.
"Di... We are waiting.. " Payal's voice snapped her out of the flashbacks she was having.
"Come on Di.. Tell us know.. Nani, mama and mami are out for Satsang, Its just us.. Tell us know.. Please... "
Khushi's puppi face made her smile..
"Hmmm.. yes.. I also had a crush. But never had the courage to tell him on his face.." She admitted with a warm smile
"Crush on whom?" Arnav who was quiet till now asked.
"With the super star of our collage who made every girl's heartbeat skip a beat. Every girl had a crush on him and I am very sure he never noticed me. So its not that important."
"Really its not that important ? Then why did it feel like its not just a crush reading your face.." Akash raised his eyebrows in a playful manner.
"Maybe.. Maybe he was more than a crush for me.. as he was the first boy for whom I was feeling something. And at that time it was not like this. Nowadays everything is casual even love and crush in collage. But at that time these things had more depth even if it is crush. "
"So what was his name Di? " Khushi chipped in..
"Anuj.. and everyone called him AK then " She fondly smiled at the memory of Anuj playing a piano on cultural fest and all the students going crazy cheering AK.. AK..
Anjali's expressions were not going unnoticed by everyone. It was very clear that This guy AK was someone who left a mark on her.
Khushi wondered why God is being unfair to people who has a good heart? Di was married to that snake Shyam out of all the people. It's very hard for her to get over it because She has been wronged, she loved that cheater without a fault and she gave her all to him but that person she trusted with her life betrayed her.
They say, You can get over it by accepting the reality, you need to forgive yourself first by not asking what went wrong? what is it that you didn't do right? What did I do, why me? Relax and calm down, see the brighter side of it. Focus on yourself, do things that will make you happy do away with negative vibes, surround yourself with positive mind's, set achievable goals, visit new places and make new friends. The right person will come and stay forever. She hoped that right person will come for Di.
The silence was broken when Khushi's phone rang. It was Mukku.
"Hello Mukku.. " the change of expression on Khushi's face said something was wrong.
She disconnected the call and went to Arnav and held his hand.
"Arnavji.. Mukku needs help, can we go now?"
"Of course" he immediately rushed towards the door grabbing the car key holding her hand.
Love,
ST
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